The Abbey Gate (
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
: ''Klosterporten'') in
Sorø
Sorø () is a town in Sorø municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in east Denmark. The population is 7,999 (2022). ,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establishe ...
, is the original
gate
A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include '' yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wal ...
of
Absalon
Absalon (21 March 1201) was a Danish statesman and prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 and archbishop of Lund from 1178 until his death. He was the foremost politician and church father of Denmar ...
's
Sorø Abbey
Sorø Abbey was the preeminent and wealthiest monastic house in all of Denmark during the Middle Ages. It was located in the town of Sorø in central Zealand.
After Denmark became Lutheran in 1536, the abbey was confiscated by the Crown. The ab ...
dating from about 1200. It now affords access to the grounds of
Sorø Academy
Sorø Academy ( Danish, ''Sorø Akademi'') is a boarding school and gymnasium located in the small town of Sorø, Denmark. It traces its history back to the 12th century when Bishop Absalon founded a monastery at the site, which was confiscated ...
, which include the old abbey church, Denmark's longest church building, and is claimed to be the oldest inhabited house in Denmark.
History
The gatehouse was completed in two stages, the first in the 1160s and the second in about 1200. It guarded the entrance to the grounds of Sorø Abbey, then surrounded by a wall. It faced the town centre of Sorø, just south of its marketplace. Few outsiders, and never any women, were afforded access to the grounds.
Architecture
With the completion of the second stage in 1200, the building was originally built to a cross shaped layout.
It was altered by
Johan Daniel Herholdt
Johan Daniel Herholdt (13 August 1818 – 11 April 1902) was a Danish architect, professor and royal building inspector. He worked in the Historicist style and had a significant influence on Danish architecture during the second half of the 19th ...
in 1883. Until the late 19th century it was white-washed and could originally be closed by two massive doors in oak.
A western extension to the gate is known as Saxo's Cell, after
Saxo Gramaticus, although his exact relationship to Sorø, let alone the building, is uncertain, and was originally used by the guards at the gate. Its interior has a central tile stone column supporting four
groin vault
A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. Honour, H. and J. Fleming, (2009) ''A World History of Art''. 7th edn. London: L ...
s.
Use
The gatehouses still contains a residence for one of the teachers at Sorø Academy, making it the oldest inhabited building in Denmark.
Over the years, apart from its original use, it has served as a coal storage facility, a jailhouse and an exhibition space.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbey Gate (Soro)
Listed buildings and structures in Sorø Municipality